Mario Kart 8 DLC Adds Link, Tanooki Mario, Villager and More

Mario Kart 8 is getting 16 new courses, 8 new vehicles and six new characters, including Link from The Legend of Zelda series.

Nintendo has announced that Mario Kart 8 is getting two meaty packs of downloadable content, bringing some new changes that the franchise has never seen before. Starting on Aug. 27, you can pre-purchase both packs of downloadable content for $7.99 each or $11.99 for both. The first DLC pack will launch in the fall, with the second coming in the spring of 2015. For the first time ever, Link from The Legend of Zelda will be a playable driver in Mario Kart. Hopefully this means we can see Zelda and Samus one day as well.

Also starting on Aug. 27, Mario Kart will be getting a free update that will add three luscious Mercedes-Benz rides to the game, including the modern Mercedes-Benz GLA, the 1950s 300 SL Roadster and the 1930s Silver Arrow. You can see the Benz vehicles in action in the video provided below.

“More than 1 million Wii U owners in the United States alone are already enjoying the fun of Mario Kart 8,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “Mario Kart 8 already includes the largest number of characters, karts and options of any Mario Kart game to date, and these amazing expansion packs give players even more choices.”

Those who purchase both packs on the Nintendo eShop starting on Aug. 27 will get eight new Yoshi and Shy Guy colors available immediately for those who pre-order the DLC. One of the new, upcoming vehicles includes the Blue Falcon from F-Zero. Here's to hoping we can race as Captain Falcon on the Wii U sometime in the future. Each pack will get two new racing divisions (cups), with four new courses each. Some of these new raceways include Wario's Gold Mine from Mario Kart Wii along with new raceways set in the universes of The Legend of Zelda and Animal Crossing.

The first DLC pack, called The Legend of Zelda X Mario Kart 8, will be coming out in Nov. 2014. This pack will include four new vehicles, eight new courses and three new characters: Tanooki Mario, Cat Peach and Link.

The Animal Crossing X Mario Kart 8 update, due next May, will provide an additional four vehicles, eight raceways and three characters, including Dry (bones) Bowser from New Super Mario Bros., along with Isabelle and the Villager from Animal Crossing.